From the category archives:

Uncategorized

Blue Palate Special: Yucatan fry up

December 5, 2009

I’m definitely a savory breakfast person.  I’ll take hashbrowns over pancakes any day, and biscuits call out to me more than any version of danish or muffin. When I traveled to England and Ireland and ate my first fry up, I discovered the joys of beans for breakfast, and have been trying to conjure ways [...]

Continue reading →

Happy as a Dutch pig: Corn for dinner

August 29, 2009

A Dutch friend of mine once said he was appalled that Americans eat corn on-the-cob. “That’s what pigs eat,” he said. If that’s true, Dutch pigs must be happy pigs, because there’s nothing tastier ear of sweet summer corn slathered in butter and salt. Oink, oink. Summer means sweet corn and cheap corn. My parents [...]

Continue reading →

Blue Palate on the Road: Perfection con carne

August 19, 2009

Burritos are just about the perfect meal. They are cheap and filling and usually represent the major food groups. Put together with the right ingredients they are delicious. Only a handful of restaurants and food carts in Portland serve perfection in a tortilla, perhaps because we’re far from the border or because most the really [...]

Continue reading →

Blue Palate on the Road: Nature’s Kitchen

July 31, 2009

Interstate 5 from Oregon to California, which I’ve driven a dozen or so times in my life, is the quickest way to travel up and down the west. It’s scenic in parts, but mostly it’s just straight and quick. And if you’re trying to make it to San Francisco in less than ten hours, be [...]

Continue reading →

Cheap beer: Yes we can

July 26, 2009

I have mixed feelings about cheap beer. Beer is high in calories for a beverage and if I’m going to spend it I like to taste it. But a pint of Pabst Blue Ribbon or can of Hamm’s can be quite refreshing on a hot day and I can drink a couple and not feel heavy headed. [...]

Continue reading →

Blue Palate Special: Black Beans a l’Awesome

May 27, 2009

Black beans are a true Blue Palate Special. They’re full of protein, folate, fiber, magnesium, iron and other wonderful nutrients. Black beans low in fat and can cost as low as $0.49 per can. And prepared my special way they can be quite delicious and served a variety of ways. This recipe takes about 15 [...]

Continue reading →

Recession in Style: Happy Hour at Home

May 20, 2009

I had a hankering for happy hour the other day, and while Portland is filled with a cornucopia of choices for cheap eats after the work day, I am pretty budget conscious these days. I’ve been trying hard to limit eating at bars and restaurants, despite inexpensive options some might offer. Instead, I visited my [...]

Continue reading →

So little time, so many recipes

February 11, 2009

I am leading a hectic life these days. Not to whine, but my weekday schedule consists of three consecutive 12 hour days. Bottom line: I don’t have a ton of time to cook (Or write blog posts…wink wink). This Sunday I was very proactive though and, with the help of my legal boyfriend Peter, made [...]

Continue reading →

Blue Palate Special: Chicken Dinner

January 6, 2009

A roast chicken is an absolutely perfect meal.  Tender meat infused with garlic or herbs or citrus, potatoes and carrots or other tough vegetables that can withstand a couple of hours simmering in the savory juices. Chicken dinners are simple but feel like something extravagant, specially when presented on a platter and carved at the [...]

Continue reading →